Oil-flame regulator for vulcanizers



(No Model.)

v G. B. SNOW, OIL FLAME REGULATOR FOR VULGANIZBRS. No. 556,701. Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

29 6 30 I v f 4 .70

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GEORGE ll. SNOlV, Ol BUFFALO, NEsV YORK.

OIL-FLAME REGULATOR FOR VULCANIZERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 556,701, dated March 17, 1896.

Application filed September 19, 1894:. $erial No. 523,530. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Gnoncn 13. Snow, of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oil-Flame Regulators for Vulcanizers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the ac companying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a vulcanizer with my improved flame-regulating apparatus attached thereto. Fig. Bis a sectional view of my regulater-head. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail view, in a partial end elevation, showing the wick-tube of the lamp and the levers and flame-plates which control the flame; and Fig. 5 is a plan of the flame-controlling device and also shows a timing attachment by which the flame is automatically extinguished when the vulcanizing process is complete.

This invention relates to automatic flame regulating and extinguishing mechanism for vulcanizers using oil for fuel; and it consists in the features of construction and novel combinations of devices herein after described and claimed.

A represents a vulcanizer supported by a jacket B upon an oil-stove G G in the usual manner. Attached to the vulcanizer A is the thermometer D. The regulator-head E is connected with the vuloanizer by means of a steanrpipeF. The regulator-head E consists of two parts, 1 and 2, which may be either bolted or screwed together, and the intervening cavity is divided by a diaphragm 3, which is closely held between the parts 1 and 2 and forms a steam-tight joint therewith, Steam from the vulcanizer finds its way into the cavity under the diaphragm through the pipe F, and the diaphragm yields to the pressure thereof to adegree proportionate to its amount.

A lever et is jointed to the section 1 of the casing at 36. An adj usting-screw 5 is threaded vertically through the lever in the vertical center line of the parts 1 and 2. A bearingpin 6 slides freely in a central hole in part 1, extending from the diaphragm 3 upward to the lower end of the adjusting-screw 5, the lever 4; thus having a centralbearing upon the diaphragm 3. The outer end of the lever 4c is shown with a notch '7 and a cross-groove 8 in which rests a washer 9 having cross-ridges l0 and 11 upon its upper and lower surfaces, respectively. The connecting-rod 12 is received into the notch 7 and passes through the washer 9, and has upon its upper end the adj listing-nut 13. The object of this arrangement is to insure a fair hearing of the nut 13 upon the lever a at the middle of the notch '7 for preserving the accurate length of the lever 4 and to permit the adjustment of the rod 12 in length.

A necessary condition for the satisfactory operation of this device is the accurate adjustm ent of the oil-stove wick to a certain invariable height. This may be done, by using care, without any special appliance; but as it is more easily done by gaging it by a small flame rather than a large one I show means for raising the lever at to what 1 term the point for minimum flame. The thumbscrew ll is threaded into a projecting ring of the part 1 and bears against the lower side of the lever at. Its length is such that if screwed upward to its full length it will raise the le ver et a trifle farther than is sufficient to reduce the flame to the point at which it will carry the vulcanizer at a steady temperature, the flame being then reduced so that it is barely visible through the peep hole 28. Other means may be used for this puposc, though I prefer the screw 14, as shown, but do not limit myself to its use. The rod 12 extends downward,and by a loop or other equivalent device it is loosely connected with the arm 23 of the flame-controller, which projects from the casting C.

For the purpose of controlling the flame the ordinary sleeve surrounding the wick-tube and adapted to be raised or lowered as less or more flame is required may be used. I

prefer, however, the devices herein described,

as being less liable to injury and more efficient. The oil-lamp G has the ordinary flat wick-tube H and thumowheel 37, by means of which the wick is ordinarily raised and lowered. Resting upon the lamp is the casting O, floored by the perforated tin diaphragm K, through which the wick-tube passes. In the casting C is contained the flamecontroller, which is composed of two flame-plates 18, which lean upon either side of the wick tube H and by sliding upward over the wick control the admission of air thereto and reduce the flame. They are operated by two rock-shafts 16, which are situated on either, side of the wick-tube, horizontally and parallel with it, and are supported by the casting 0, preferably by means of the'pointed screws 17, the flameplates being carried on arms 2425, projecting from the rock-shafts.

Attached to the rock-shafts 15 16 are the arms 19 20 21 22, the latter having projecting from it the arm 23, parallel with the shaft 15 and extending through a hole in the casting C, thus affording attachment for the rod 12. There are hubs 26 27 upon the extremities of the arms 19 2]., and upon these rest the extremities of the arms 20 22. The arms are thus interlocked, so that the shaft 15, when rocked, will carry with it the shaft 16. hen the shafts are rocked upward, the flame-plates 18 will be raised, and they can be raised, if required, so as to cover the wick entirely and extinguish the flame. Instead of the connections shown thetwo rock-shafts 15 and 16 may be made to move together by any suitable means; but by the construction described the parts may be so cast that fitting is scarcely required.

It will now be seen that when a certain amount of steam-pressure is acting upon the diaphragm 3 and it is yielding thereto the lever at will be elevated and the flame-plates 18 thereby raised upon the wick, and the flamebe thus brought to a size just sufficient to retain the pressure and temperature of the vulcanizer at the point they have reached. If the pressure decreases, the diaphragm 3 will relax, and the flame-plates 18 be thereby lowered, thus increasing the flame. If the press ure increases, the diaphragm will bulge still further, raising the flame-plates and decreasing the flame, which is thus automatically controlled by the diaphragm. The apparatus being thus once adjusted will thereafter hold the vulcanizer at the temperature for which it is set for any number of subsequent vulcanizations; but if a change is desired, as is often the case, the attendant must watch the thermometer or gage until the requisite temperature or pressure has been attained, when he can turn the screw 5 and set the apparatus anew. To facilitate the matter, I have provided an indicator by which adjustments may be made instantaneously and without waiting for the vulcanizer to heat. Upon the topof the lever at is a circular index-plate 29, suitably graduated, and upon the upper end of the screw 5 is a pointer 30. It is only requiredto set the pointer to the mark on the indexplate denoting the temperature of pressure required, and the apparatus needs no-further oversight, except that required to time it and extinguish the flame when the process is complete. To relieve the attendant of this care and automatically extinguish the flame there may be provided a timing attachment constructed as follows: The clock J has the housing 32 upon the side of its casing, in which the arm 23. \Vhen the lever 33 drops, the weighted end of thelever 35 follows it, its other end raising the lever and flame-plates 18 to their full limit, covering the wick and extinguishing the flame. As a matter of convenience, the screw 34; is made to cast off the lever as the minute-hand of the clock reaches the sign XII, and the adjustment for time is made by turning the minute-hand crum on the screw 17, its end passing under backward from XII for the odd minutes and placing the lever 33 as many threads back from the end of the screw 34 as the number of hours the vulcanizer is to be heated plus one. The first thread is for the odd minutes and each subsequent one anhour.

To operate the device the lamp is lighted,

the vulcanizer put into position, as shown, and connection made between the lever i and the flame-controller by means of the rod 12. The rod 12 is then adjusted so that While both the lever 4 and the arm 23 are in their lowest positions the slightest upward movement of the lever at will raise the arm 23. The lever i is then raised by turning the screw 14, and by turning the thumb-wheel 37 the wick is adjusted so that the flame is barely visible through the peep-hole 28. The lever 4 is lowered by unscrewing the thumb-screw 14: until the flame borders upon smoking. Then the index-pointer is set for the desired temperature or pressure and the timing attachment for the proper time, the lever is adjusted, and the apparatus then requires no further attendance. The heat will be automatically and accurately maintained and at the proper time the flame will be extinguished.

hat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination with a vulcanizer, its oil-stove, and a flame-controller for the wicktube, of a regulating device consisting of the casing having the flexible diaphragm inclosed therein, a pipe for conducting steam from the vulcanizer to act on said diaphragm, a lever mounted on the top of the diaphragm-easing and having a bearing on said diaphragm, an adj Listing-screw supported by the diaphragmcasing and bearing on the under side of said lever, and an adjustable connection between said lever and the flame-controller for the wick-tube, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a vulcanizcr, its oil-stove, and a flame-controller for the wicktube, of a casing having a flexible diaphragm therein, a pipe for conducting steam from the vulcanizer to act on and raise said diaphragm a lever mounted on the diaphragm-casing and carrying an adjustable screw, a bearingpin intermediate said screw and diaphragm, means for adjusting the said lever upward and downward independent of the said screw and bearing-pin, and a rod for connecting the said lever with the flame-controller, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a vulcanizer, its oil-stove and a flame-controller for the wicktube, of a casin g inclosing a flexible diaphragm, a pipe for conducting steam from the vulcanizer to act on said diaphragm, a lever mounted on the diaphragm-casing and havin g an adjustable bearing on said diaphragm, an adjustable screw supported by said casing and having a bearing on the under side of said lever, and a rod having an adjustable connection with said lever and extended GEORGE B. SNOW.

\Vitnesses CHARLES E. CLARK, Tnos. A. RUssELL. 

